Primarily concentrated in Cornwall and Devon, the church sent missionaries all over England. By 1820, missions had been established in the
Channel Islands and in
Kent. They were also strong in the
Isle of Wight amongst farm labourers, largely due to the inspirational teachings of Mary Toms of
Tintagel, Cornwall. The vicar of
Brighstone,
Samuel Wilberforce, urged that their influence be countered by having their adherents sacked from their jobs and turned out from their cottages, resulting in their sometimes meeting in a chalk pit. There are several chapels in rural areas of the Island which have the title "Bible Christian Chapel" over the doorway (e.g.
Apse Heath,
Arreton). By 1831, ministers were being sent to
Prince Edward Island and
Ontario, and a mission was established in Canada in 1845. Many of the emigrants from Devon and Cornwall to Canada and the United States in the 1830s were '
Bible Christians', further encouraging the spread of the church in those countries. Australia was a favourite destination for missionaries by 1850. Other missionaries worked in New Zealand by 1878, and in China by 1885. Members of the Bible Christian Church were sometimes known as Bryanites, after their founder. The church made extensive use of female
preachers like
Ann Freeman, and O'Bryan's wife Catherine. ==Later history==